Bookkeeping machine stand



June 6, 1939. W T, SAGNER 2,160,990

BOOKKEEPING MACHINE STAND Filed Sept. ll, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l .TToRNEY June 6, 1939. IW. Ti SAGNER `2,160,990

OOKKEEPING MACHINE STAND Filed Sept. ll, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 6, 1939 PATENT OFFICE BOOKKEEPING MACHINE STAND .Walter T. Sagner, Wethersfield, Conn., assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 11, 1937, Serial No. 163,445

Claims.

This invention relates to stands or tables for the support of business machinesfor convenient operation, and more particularly to an auxiliary shelf thereof, provided for the holding of refer- 5, ence data required during operation of the machine.

, One of the objects of the invention is to provide a business machine stand including a reference shelf, the supporting means of which alfords I) a positive rigid setting of the shelf at several elevations to suit the convenience of the operator, each setting accommodating either the usual reference data or vertical file units or sheet holders, as used in billing or other bookkeeping Il procedure,

A feature of this improved shelf. support is that of affording ease of operation to effect the raising or lowering of the shelf, the change being made with such facility that vthe operator is not 0 required to leave his position in front of the table,

in that members of the structure controlling elevational adjustment are readily accessible therefrom.

The means by which the shelf is adjustably 5 supported at thetable embodies an L bracket or link flexibly associated with the table and shelf respectively, the supporting means being so arranged that locking of the shelf in either position is automatically effected by fixing the shelf at go level, the latter beingaccomplished bythe selective setting of a diagonal brace in a corresponding positive setting. The diagonal brace, also serving to support the shelf at its projected portion, is so correlated to the mentioned L brackets,

g5 shelf and table, that the shelf is constantly carried on these support members, whether the shelf is xed at either elevation, or while making the adjustment.

In adjusting the shelf, for example, from ele- |,0 vated to low position, the user may merely release and swing a small crank-arm c'o-operating with a foldable shelf brace, and consequently tilt the shelf to such an angle that the normally locked attachment between the proximal portion of the L5 shelf and the table is thereby unlocked so that the shelf is free to level itself at low position, the motion being checked by the operator.' In raising the shelf a similar procedure is had, except in reverse order.' rIioe portion of the shelf adjacent 50 the table is raised by swinging on the links until a positive stop is engaged. At that time, the mentioned crank-arm is operated to correspondingly position the diagonal brace so as to raise the free end of the shelf, thereby causing a de- 55 pending lug to engage over a projection on the (Cl. 45-90) y table to fix the setting, that is, to lock the shelf against downward swinging on the links.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a front elevation of the entire machine stand, including both right and left reference shelves, the left shelf being shown in lower position, full lines, and in phantom at elevated position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the stand showing the adjustable shelf in elevated position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation illustrating the manner of changing the elevational position of the shelf.

Figure 4 is a front elevation similar to Figure 1, but showing the shelves folded against the stand for compactness, and` Figure 5 is a detail section of the crank arm and retractable pin thereof.

An Underwood bookkeeping machine I0 is supported by a stand I I, which has a top I2 secured to a frame structure including two left legs I3 and two right legs III, braced by spreaders or cross-bars I5. -The stand II has an adjustable drop-leaf or shelf I 8 on the operators left and a drop-leaf I9 on the operators right. When shelf I8 is in the lower position a sheet holder 20 of a standard make may be placed thereupon and the operator may conveniently look into the holder 2l! from his seated position in front of the machine to read a bill 2I or the like, as indicated by the broken-line sight S, in Figure l.

A pair of plates 22 are secured to the shelf I8 and comprise the means by which same is supported at its margin adjacent the stand I I. From each plate 22 depends a lug 23 disposed to engage a shoulder or projection 24 presented by the nut forming part of the stand structure, with the shelf at upper position. Each plate 22 includes an ear 25 presenting an arcuate edge 26 engageable with thestand top I2, as will be later defined. A cross-shaft 21 is journaled in the ears 25 and has aflixed thereto a pair of links 28, each of which is pivoted at 29 on the stand legs I3 and afford means by which the corresponding end of the shelf'is guided to and supported at either upper or lower position, Figure 3. The links 28 are preferably L-shaped so that in lower position, the shelf I8 may partly rest thereon, and, with the shelf raised, the link extends alongside and above the stand top so that the shelf I8 may overlap same.

Brace means are provided for supporting the projecting portion of the shelf |8, said means functioning to level the shelf in either elevated position in co-operation with the links 28 in affording rigid, adjustable support of the shelf. The brace means embodies a toggle and includes a bail 3| journaled at its medial portion on the shelf |8 by bearings 3|) and having co-extensive arms terminating in lateral pins 32 exibly joining at 33 to corresponding levers 34 fixed to a rock-shaft 35.

The rock-shaft 35 is journaled in the stand legs I3, preferably extending through the front leg and has secured thereon a crank-arm. 4| for turning the shaft 35 to actuate the levers 34 in changing the shelf elevation. Crank-arm 4| carries a spring-pressed retractable pin 39, Figure 5, for insertion into a recess 40 in the front leg 3. The levers 34 may assume either of two angular positions so as to level the shelf in accordance with the respective settings of the links 28. In raised position of the shelf, the levers 34 project upwardly in approximate alignment with the bail 3| so as to effect an extension thereof, that is, to increase the effective length of the brace. In this position, the crank-arm 4| is locked from turning by the engagement of its pin 39 into aperture 45, the crank-arm being stopped by a detent 42 thereon abutting the leg i3. In low position of the shelf the levers 34 are swung to depend from the rock-shaft 35, vengaging the cross-bar l5 of the stand frame. In this position, the lever 34 has the effect of shortening the effective length of the brace. The retractable pin 39 is mounted in the crank-arm 4|, preferably as shown in Figure 5, the pin 39 being slidably journaled in the end thereof and having a knob 38 for convenient operation, the pin 39 being urged forwardly by a spring 43 backed by the crank-arm 4|.

The setting of the shelf i8 is accomplished in the following manner. From lower position, Figure 3, the shelf i3 is elevated by rst raising the portion thereof adjacent the stand thereby swinging the links 28 until the arcuate edge 26 abuts the stand top l2, the shelf i8 being now tilted upwardly toward the stand as shown in broken lines in Figure 3. The crank-arm 4| is now turned so that the levers 34 swing from low to raised position thereby bringing the shelf up to level and coactively causing the lugs 23 to engage the shoulders 24 so as to lock the links 28 and the shelf i3 from downward swinging, the setting of levers 34 being locked by the pin 39 entering the aperture 45. The shelf is lowered merely by reversing the process, the levers 34 being swung downwardly until they engage the cross-bar l5, thereby releasing the lugs 23 from; the projections 24. Thelinks are now free to swing downwardly and are allowed to do so until the shelf I3 comes to rest upon the offset portion of the links 28, at which time the shelf |8 assumes a level position.

The bail 3| is laterally resilient so that the arms thereof may be sprung or flexed toward each other to facilitate retraction of the pins 32 from the apertures 33. The shelf I8 may thus be swung against the stand into a compact organization, the bail 3| being folded therebetween.

rIhe right shelf |9 has two brackets 46 and may be pivoted on pins 4l journaled in the righthand legs |4 of the stan-d. A bail 49 is pivoted in journal-plates 48 and the ends are bent to form studs 50 which engage apertures 5| in the legs I4. To collapse the right shelf |9 inward pressure is applied to the downwardly projecting legs of the bail 49 to free the bail studs 50 from holes 5| and the shelf I9 will thus hang on the pins 47 in a Vertical position as shown in Figure 4.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A business machine stand including a shelf supported for selective -elevational positions thereto, means engaging a margin of' the shelf to selectively fix the elevation thereof relative to the stand, and an extensible brace variably supporting the projected portion of the shelf on the stand whereby to level same at the desired elevation.

2. A business machine stand including an elevation adjustable shelf thereon, means supporting the shelf selectively at one of two elevations by the stand and comprising a flexible connection between the shelf and stand to determine the upper and lower positions thereof relative to the stand, and an extensible brace extending between the projected portion of the shelf and the stand whereby to level the shelf at either elevation.

3. A business machine stand including an elevation adjustable shelf thereon, means supporting the shelf selectively at one of two elevations by the stand and comprising a pair of spaced links flexibly joined to said shelf and stand respectively, so as to determine the upper and lower positions of an end of the shelf relative to the stand, and an extensible brace extending between the projected portion of the shelf' and the stand, whereby to level the shelf at either elevation.

4. A business machine stand including an elevation adjustable shelf thereon, means supporting the shelf selectively at one of two elevations by the stand and comprising a pair of spaced links flexibly joined to said shelf and stand respectively, so as to determine the upper and lower positions of an end of the shelf relative to the stand, and a brace including a pair of articulated members flexibly mounted on said shelf and stand, respectively, one of said brace members being movable in a predetermined are to effect the leveling of said shelf at either elevation.

5. A business machine stand including an elevation adjustable shelf thereon, means supporting the shelf selectively at one of two elevations by the stand and comprising a pair of spaced links exibly joined to said shelf and stand respectively, so as to determine the upper and lower positions of an end of the shelf relative to the stand, and brace means supporting the projecting portion of said shelf, including a bail having a medial portion journaled on said shelf, and including co-extensive arms depending therefrom, a pair of levers fiexibly joined to said bail arms and swingable on said stand through a predetermined arc to effect the position of said bail so as level the shelf at either elevation.

WALTER T. SAGNER. 

